Plate c. 1789

This plate was made by Thomas Badger, around the late 1700s or early 1800s, from pewter. Pewter is an alloy – mostly tin, with a bit of other stuff added to make it stronger. It’s relatively soft, so you can shape it by hammering or casting. Notice the subtle hammer marks on this plate. Badger likely used a mold to get the basic form, then refined it by hand. Pewter was the everyday metal of the time – not fancy like silver, but practical and durable. It was a material for the working and middle classes. So, this plate speaks to a whole social world, a time when craft skills were valued and metalwork was part of daily life. It shows us that even the most humble objects can have a story to tell.